Automatic safety fender for motor vehicles



, c. w. WILLIAMS, JR- AUTOMATIC SAFETY FENDER FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION 'FILED APR. 18, {922- 1,429,055, PatentedSept. 12, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

3 I u 2 f 7 I I INVEN'ILOR WWW-4 W ATTORNEY C. W. WILLIAMS, IR.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY FENDER FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1a, 1922.

' 1,429,055, PatntedSept. 12,1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY 30 attached.

Patented Sept. 12, 1 922,

'ZdaZZ-whmndt ma concern." in

Be; it known that GHARLES 1 "WELLIIAMS, 1 Jr.,* af citizen 0f the United States; residing 'aJ-t Montclai-r, in theg'county er Essex 'smd Sta'te of New Jei 'sey have vented oeritain new" and iiseiu'l Improve- 5: ments' i'n Automatio' Safet-yFenders Igor Md tor; Vehicle's, of which the o11owing is f int l-j This invention reletes to a, device that mayhe -attached to an automobile another 7 vehiel'e-to-render the saiine' more-safef for @e'destrians and aid in the avoidance of fe One of the objects of this invention is :to 7 provide a, safety device that will operate zmt'omaticaiil y so as to prevent-Ea pedestrian iron being run over by a vehicle when struck therebyw- 1g Another oh'ect is to provide a, safety fender that will occu y a" relatively"small 1 space in its normzil'l or closed position and Another object i-s tojprovide lei Ker or a at the sam'e time Will notpresent; an unsig' h tiy ap1beana11ce }or interposeagin -inordinaite surface to cause an: 1 increase: in the emountof airffriotion. 1

system rof lewers tor; operating the safety device, 1 which levers may also; serve as a Ebumper for the car to whioh thG dGViCGWiS l Y The invention he innderstood from iignates i; the spmngs'of aniiautolnohiledo \or housing 45,111 which "housing :is mounted which the device mayifbexattached by extensions :2 which 1 ame fastened tothe springs .zbyustrai-ps The ;.outer -iend :oif :the. iexten- 51011 .12 are rigidly connected 1313C afloalsing :an expam sibi'e ifrarmework to .be described imoreain :detai-l ihelowl F The :hou'sing: is proivid'ed with 521. vertical channel !5. and another i'almnneiafi rdiis'pos'e'd at ken-angle to the: channel 5, in which channelstheiexpeinsible'firame :wionk is "mounted.- 7 (Dnthe: front :side kof {the housing 4 are two lugs 7 spaced apart slight ly; and: between theifsa'nie is? mounted the catch 8 so as to turn upon the pivot 9. The e I Band 6when the device is in it's 'normal" 8 has an extension 10 projecting over the top rofith'e housing and an'i extension 151 between whieh a nd the housing ifs interposed gcoii'ilpression sp i' ing' 12 The extension 1-1 is connected by the strap 13 3120 two 'lefvers 1 i rap 13 we passin hro gh+smgs 1 8 the leversl iend 15?. "TWO rigid extensionsfl9 and 20 are provided en the front-of the' 'hoiisfi-ng Ae aaid'the ends of the i'e versl iemi 15am 'pi'votedto' thefends 0% these 3 extensions, {as shown at-Q 1 22.

The extension 19 m-Sky be piecedin a" slight lower plane; th'anthe "extension- 220 m 0 1 "the lever =14 is pivoted a'bove the exten sion -19, while the lever "15 ispivotedbeloW the extension 2050 that theends of the two extensions lS) and 'QO wil' iopeialte as stops 1 i for the respeotive levers 15 and 14 in *one diree'tion; The extensions 19 end 26 are connected by a; curved bar '23 Which-mis y 'he i provided with a hole, *24 strap l3 extends. The expansib-le frame-work or toggle thronghxwhioh' the.

mechanismconsistsfiof :a, series of parajli'i bars F30 (EiISPQSGa 1n one plane and a "series .of parafl lel bars 31 disposed in'ja. plarie'was shown in 4' at an nng le to the' fir'st plane.- The firs'tjhar 30 may he provided the-i et'o and ifthe last bar '31 may be pr'snviiii'ed I with a cilrvedyplaite 31" rigimyconnedted "thereto, these rpilzites 30 and 'i-3'l"'-servin;g as i covers" for the open en'd-sof the channei s f5 .main'taiinedin r-t'h'e housing-4 iby 'ihsavi-ngi pins or rods A1 extend ithnoug hj the sidesfiof 'the g,

-e s' this bar wili notnee'dto moxie jin'i'eithgeir housinfg; and through th'emiddle" 531 530? direction-when the Ermine-wank is expanded. Thegbars 30. and -31 :are' I t G dv-, y a series of cross-thus 1132, which fare pivoted :tog'eth er where they cross .seaeh other; and

:zire pi-iiotedjto" thefmi'dd'le ipqirtion loftthe --'a'1ternete:hersi30nndi31-t ":Sonie o f'theihars .1

'325a1reibent as, indicatediatgi32 sma to adapt cthei inamework :to (the xtwko chainnezls fi Land.

" 6u-o fpthe holisiangi A. F CDhexe-ndsioifitherbaiis 32 are :also'spivoted 'ztogether and these-pim- Of/S, miles isome zozf the. pivotfs iatfthe 3 crossed portions, extend" through gl-ots :33

inigth'e ibars 3.0 and 31," indicated, and have itheir endsrenl mrged; as shhwnzmone clearly',at--4aO.;(iFig.56)i this way :a qianto-- graph-like, frame-work "is provided,

in its extended position.

which the bars 30 and 31 can be caused to approach or rec'edelfrom each other While being maintained parallel to each other. The cross-bars may be connected by a series of tensile-springs 34 so as to tend normally to expand the framework. One or more of the slots 33may be provided with notches 33' to operateas a lock for the framework in its expanded position by the shank of the corresponding rivet dropping into'these notches when the frame work is In order to cause this operationv to take place. the left hand end of the bar 80 for example, may be made heavierthan the right hand end, or a spring may be interposed to cause the shank 39 of the rivet to catch behind the projec tions 33,

In the modifications shown in Figs. 5 and 6, instead of having notches along the side of the slots, a lever 35 may be pivoted to the bar 30 at 36, the otherend of this lever 35 being drawn downward by the spring 37 so that the notches 88 will be interposed in the path of the rivet shank and be caught thereby.. I

, The operation is as follows:

The expansible frame is normally retained in the housing 4 in its closed position, as indicated in Fig. l, with the catch-10 extendingover the top of the housing and retaining the frame closed. In this way the .expa-nsible frame-work is protected from the rain. In case a pedestrian is struck by one of the levers 14 or 15, the same will operate the catch through the strap 13, thereby permitting the springs 34 to expand or extend the frame-work so that the lower the ground and the upper portion will extend approximately to the proper height,

thus causing-the lower portion to catch the .person if he has fallen, or the upper portion will prevent him from falling over and behind the housing and therefore under the wheels. In case the bars 30 or 31 strike a: pedestrian before the frame-work has ex panded tovits full extent, the locking device shown ,at 33 (or at 35 in Fig. 5) will maintain the frame in the position. to which it has extended or expanded. When the levers l4 and 15 have moved into contact with the extensions 19 or--20, they then serveas a bumper for the car. When it is desiredv to proceed, the frame-work is compressed, the-catch 38 having been released,

and when it has been compressed within the housing, the catch'10 is caused to pass over the topof the same and hold. it therein.

-What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

H1. In a motor vehicle safety device, a housing, an expansiblelframe in said housng, a catch for holding said frame in its when anobject is struck.

closed position, and a pivoted lever connected to said catch extending in front of said vehicle.

2. In a motor vehicle, an expansible frame, said frame being anchored intermediate its edges to a support to permit it to 4:. In a motor vehicle safety device, a

frame expansible in opposite directions in two planes at an angle to each other, a catch for holding said frame in its closed position, and means for releasing said catch.

5. In a motor vehicle safety device, an expansible frame, a catch for holding said frame in its closed position, and crossed pivoted levers connected to said catch extending in front of said vehicle.

6. In a motor vehicle safety device, a i

housing, an expansible frame in said housing, said frame being anchored intermediate its edges ,to a support to permit it to expand in opposite directions, means for holding said frame in its closed position,

and means operated by contact with. an object to release said holding means. 7

7. In a motor vehicle safety device, an

expansible frame, means for holding said frame in its closed position, a pivoted lever extending in front of said frame operated by contact with an object to release said holding means, and means comprising a notched member for automatically locking said frame in its expanded position.

8. In a motor vehicle safety device, an expansible frame, means for holding said frame in its closed position, means operated by contact with an object to release said holding means, and a catchy on a member in said frame for automatically locking said frame in its expanded position.

9. In a motor vehicle, -a-h0using, an expansible frame anchored near the middle of said housing .atpoints intermediate the edges of said frame, cover plates carried by the edges of said frame for closing the upper and lower portions of said housing, a catch for holding said frame .in its closed position, and means for releasing said catch In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

CHARLES w. WILLIAMS, JR. 

